Issues that have come up in the 4+ Assessments 2023
/I won’t name the schools but if you’d like to discuss this further with me, I’d be happy to arrange a consultation with you.
It is very important to be aware of the issues that came up this year in the Round 1 and Round 2 Assessment (if applicable to the schools that you are applying to) so that you can support your child to avoid these issues in their own Assessments.
Many parents that I’ve spoken to have been deeply frustrated because they worked so hard for 12 months in the lead up to the Assessment/s and their child was unsuccessful. I understand this completely. Parents dedicate so much time and effort to helping their child to prepare for their 4+ Assessments. Of course, they want their child to be successful but this is not always the case.
First of all, it is always important to remember that all of these Top Boys and Girls schools are very over subscribed and each year they become more and more over subscribed. This means that the competition is fierce. This means that it is harder and harder for children to pass these Assessments. At the end of the day, these top schools have their pick of the students that they want to attend their schools. They will of course choose the students that they think will be suitable for their schools. They will have their criteria and it will simply be a matter of ticking off whether the child meets the criteria or not. There will be a certain percentage that the child needs to score and if they don’t achieve high enough, they will simply not be successful.
These are the three main reasons that I have identified for children not passing Round 1.
Not following instructions - eg. The child is asked to go to an activity specified by the examiner and they say no or go to an activity that they would prefer to go to or the child being asked to draw a butterfly but instead drawing a dog.
Behavioural issues - eg. the child getting frustrated at not being allowed to do a certain activity or the child not being polite with the examiner or another child. There are many behavioural issues that could cause a child to be unsuccessful in their Assessment.
Not listening well - eg. the child listening to a story and asked a question about the story and not being able to answer the question or child asked to respond to what another child has said but not being able to.
Continue to focus on the academic aspects of the 4+ Assessments but please don’t neglect the behavioural aspects. They are just as important.
Think about it, if your child is academically gifted but they don’t follow the instructions given to them by the examiner do you think that they will pass?
If your child is academically gifted but they don’t listen to the examiner, do you think that they will pass?
If your child is academically gifted but they don’t share well with another child or show good team work do you think that they will pass?
It’s important to reflect carefully on all of these and find strategies to support your child with all of these behavioural elements.
